what can using crack cocaine lead to?

sssh99
#1. June 14th, 2009, at 9:27 AM.

Psychological effects

Cocaine is a substance that affects the brain chemistry of the user. Its main effect is to release a large amount of dopamine, a brain chemical inducing feelings of euphoria. In addition, smoking freebase cocaine releases methylecgonidine into one’s body, something which insufflating or injecting powder cocaine does not do. Methylecgonidine is a methylated form of cocaine in much the same way that methamphetamine is a methylated form of amphetamine. The high usually lasts around 15 minutes, after which time dopamine levels in the brain plummet, leaving the user feeling depressed and low. A typical response among users is to have another hit of the drug; however, the levels of dopamine in the brain take a long time to replenish themselves, and each hit taken in rapid succession leads to increasingly less intense highs. It is the intense desire to recapture the initial high that is so addictive for many users.

[edit] Health issues

When large amounts of dopamine are released by crack consumption, it becomes easier for the brain to generate motivation for other activities. The activity also releases a large amount of adrenaline into the body, which tends to increase heart rate and blood pressure, leading to long-term cardiovascular problems. It is suggested by research that smoking crack or freebase cocaine has additional health issues beyond other methods of taking cocaine. Many of these issues relate specifically to the release of methylecgonidine, and the specific effect of methylecgonidine on the heart,[1] lungs,[2] and liver.[3]

As noted previously, virtually any substance may have been added in order to expand the volume of a batch. Occasionally, highly toxic substances are used, with an indefinite range of corresponding short- and long-term health risks.

The task of introducing the drug into the body further presents a series of health risks. Crack can not be snorted like regular cocaine, so smoking is the most common consumption method. Crack has a melting point of around 90 °C (194 °F), and the smoke does not remain potent for long. Therefore, crack pipes are generally very short, to minimise the time between evaporating and losing strength. This often causes cracked and blistered lips, colloquially “crack lip”, from having a very hot pipe pressed against the lips. The use of “convenience store crack pipes” – glass tubes which originally contained small artificial roses – may also create this condition. These pipes are not durable and will quickly develop breaks; users will typically continue to use the pipe until it is only about 1/3 of its original length

natalie b
#2. June 17th, 2009, at 10:26 AM.

extreme paranoia symptoms of schizophrenia and a complete break down in life dont even think about. think this way have you ever known or seen a crack head that was normal

Kate
#3. June 20th, 2009, at 10:43 AM.

umm…death!

vkkesu
#4. June 22nd, 2009, at 3:26 AM.

The biggest regret of your life !! …plus all the other people you will effect.

linda m
#5. June 25th, 2009, at 4:11 AM.

You will ruin your life and THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU. I am watching someone I love kill himself every day right now. The only step left for my family is to completely distance ourselves from him and pray for the best. Its not what we want but we have to. It will be all downhill right from the start. It leads to being nothing, having nothing, and death.